The following abbreviations used herein shall have the following meanings:
CDMA Code Division Multiple Access.
DCS Digital Communications System.
GSM Global System for Mobile Communications.
PCS Personal Communications System.
UE User equipment, including mobile terminals, cellular telephones, smart phones and/or personal digital assistants (PDAs).
WCDMA Wideband CDMA.
WLAN Wide Area Local Access Network.
When UE is tested to be either validated, or calibrated and then validated, in a production line or elsewhere, several frequency bands and/or access technologies must be tested. FIG. 1 is a message flow 100 illustrating a conventional testing of a quad band UE, when performing production testing of a UE. The steps as seen therein are as follows:
1. Start in WCDMA 2100 and perform tests on 2100 MHz;
2. Perform a handover to GSM 900 and perform tests on 900 MHz;
3. Perform an internal GSM handover from 900 MHz to 1800 MHz and perform tests on 1800 MHz;
4. Disconnect call, remove 1800 MHz cell and setup the GSM 1900 cell; and
5. Allow the UE perform a search for the 1900 MHz cell, register and establish a new call and then perform tests on GSM 1900.
Note that when certain specific frequencies are used herein, e.g. 1900 MHz, it is to be understood that reference is to the general frequency band around and possibly including said specific frequency as used in cellular telecommunication systems. The time to perform a handover is less then 100 milliseconds (ms) for a GSM handover, however the time when moving from step 4 to step 5 above can be as long as 10 seconds or more. While a UE can handle different access technologies such as WCDMA, GSM, WLAN, and/or different frequency bands, such as GSM, DCS, PCS and/or WCDMA 1900 MHz/2100 MHz, the standards setting forth the specifications for the different technologies require the UE to transition between technologies and/or frequencies in defined ways. The transition can be performed in one of two methods. The first method is in a non-dedicated mode wherein the UE does not have a dedicated connection established. To change access technology or frequency in a non-dedicated mode, the UE must perform a search for the target technology/frequency, which is time consuming. The second method is in a dedicated/connected mode. The change of access technology or frequency in a dedicated mode is performed very quickly.
In the disclosure of Leung, two special commands are required to perform tests:
Command—1: A handover command with a channel number in a certain range orders the UE to operate in the PCS band.
Command—2: A handover command with a channel number in a certain range orders the UE to operate in the DCS band.
In Leung, commands are sent from a personal computer via a serial port to the UE. The personal computer is also connected via a general purpose instruction bus to a GSM tester, which emulates a network. Because of the time necessary to perform tests on the available technologies and frequencies of a UE, production times are adversely affected.
What is desired is a method and apparatus that allows non-standardized transitions between different access technologies and frequencies so that the need for non-dedicated mode transitions can be eliminated.